Hearts of Glass
by MuffinLove03
Summary: SEQUEL TO "HEART TO HEART"! After Big Bob has a sudden massive heart attack, the lines dividing what was once black and white may not be so clear. Mistakes will be made, secrets will be told, and hearts will be broken. The question now is: Can broken fences be mended? And can broken hearts fall in love again?
1. Chapter 1

**[A/N: Well, hey there! It's been forever since I've written anything but here we go, off on a new adventure...**

**This is the debut of the sequel to 'Heart to Heart' : Hearts of Glass!**

**If you haven't already read Heart to Heart, you should probably do that, lest you become confused! Anywho, I don't have much else to say except that I hope you enjoy this story and please let me know what you think! The story is set a few years in the future compared to Heart to Heart and I haven't explained EVERYTHING in this first chapter, but I'll explain everything as the story progresses! :) Enjoy!**

**Edit: Just to make it a little more clear, this chapter is set in the "present". Subsequent chapters will be in the *past*. Then we'll come back to the present. It'll be switching back and forth possibly a couple times, but I'll be sure to make a note so you all know. Hopefully this helps to avoid any confusion!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Hey Arnold!]**

**PRESENT TIME:**

Helga stumbled through the darkness of her bedroom, feeling around for her furniture and making her way toward the bed. She'd dropped her purse just inside the room but still clutched her phone and keys in either hand. It had been a long night and she had been more than a little tipsy. That, and completely shocked over the events of that evening. However, exhaustion took precedence and all she wanted right now was to curl up into her bed and sleep everything off.

Her toe got caught up in a T-shirt that had been discarded on the floor, causing her to trip, but thankfully her hands found the edge of the bed and she managed to keep from falling face-first into the carpet.

Despite her state, she had managed to slink into the apartment with little discernible noise. Phoebe was in the next room, probably asleep since long before midnight, knowing her. She hadn't come out that night, choosing instead to study for the mCAT. Granted, she had plenty of time to prepare for that considering she wouldn't be taking the exam for a few years but Phoebe was never one to postpone studying.

It was nearing the end of June and their lease had just started at the beginning of the month. Upon graduation, Helga and Phoebe had decided to get an apartment together in Hillwood, close enough to the University that they'd be able to commute with ease. For graduation, Phoebe's parents had gifted her with a modestly used car and it sat outside the building in full view of her window. Phoebe was very protective of that little blue Honda.

Helga hadn't been as fortunate. She still only had her learner's permit because she hadn't had the opportunity to clock enough driving hours and her first permit had expired before she was able to take her driving test. She was planning, however, to take the exam at the end of the summer so she could at least have her license before she started college.

Helga flopped onto her bed and the springs squeaked beneath her weight. She reached over and dropped her keys and cell phone onto the desk with little thought. She didn't bother to change her clothes; she just wanted to sleep. The sun was already beginning to rise, slowly illuminating her bedroom as her eyes adjusted to the light levels. The room was relatively small but Helga felt comfortable with that. As long as she was able to fit all of her stuff in there, it wasn't a big deal. She had kept the same desk and dresser she grew up with but the bed frame and mattresses were new. Well, sort of new. She'd picked up the frame on a bargain-shopping trip with Phoebe at the local thrift store and the mattress and box-spring came from an old bed Miriam had kept in storage. It wasn't the most glamorous set-up but it worked.

In the dim light of her bedroom, as her lids began to fall, Helga could see the small window at the edge of her room. A green, flourishing tree swayed slightly in a light morning breeze. The air conditioning unit positioned in the window blocked about half of her potential view of the outside but its cooling effects were much more desirable than a pretty view.

Helga nestled her head into a fluffy pink pillow and let out a content sigh as her body finally started to relax and take comfort in this favorable position.

Just as she felt herself beginning to drift off, her cell phone began to ring and Helga immediately regretted turning the volume all the way up. Her desk was right next to the head of her bed and she scrambled up to reach the phone and silence it.

Through blurry eyes, she read the name of who it was that was calling her so early in the morning.

**CAMILLE calling…**

What the heck did she want?

Helga looked over at her dresser, forgetting that the current time was at the top of her phone's screen, and noted the fact that the little pink clock on her dresser said it wasn't even six A.M. yet.

Helga silenced her phone, placing it back on the desk, and curled back into bed.

Not even a minute later, the phone started to buzz incessantly, gradually skittering across the top of her desk. Helga growled, propping herself up once again and snatching the phone up. There was Camille again.

Things had calmed down a bit between Helga and her stepfamily but they were by no means on a chummy level. Helga hadn't even spoken to Camille in months. She'd only kept her number stored in her phone so she knew if Camille was trying to call her, to keep from being blind-sided. She figured, given the time, Camille was probably drunk-dialing her and Helga wasn't in the mood to deal with that. She knew Camille had gone out that night as well, though to a different party, and figured it'd be best to just ignore her.

She watched the screen as it finally stopped vibrating and was about to put the phone back on the desk, yet again, when it vibrated in her hand once and a notification popped up stating there was a new voicemail.

Helga sighed and went into her voicemail box. It was from Camille, of course, and Helga rolled her eyes as she pushed play.

_"Helga," _Camille said between sniffles. _"Please call me back. Bob had a heart attack and it doesn't look good," _There were some shuffling sounds and the voicemail ended.

With a start, Helga sat up in bed and threw the covers off of her. She called Camille back and paced anxiously in her room for the duration of two rings.

"Hello?"

"Camille, what happened?" Helga's blood was flooded with adrenaline as she walked over to her window, looking outside restlessly.

Camille's breath was staggering and she had a hard time composing herself. Helga never knew she cared about her dad _this much_. "Your dad had a massive heart attack. The doctors said it doesn't look good," More sniffles.

Helga ran a hand through her disheveled blonde hair. "Okay… okay… Are they sure it's a heart attack? Cuz one time he thought he had one but it was just—"

"No, it's real! We're in the hospital now,"

"Who all is there?" Helga asked as she searched her dresser for a change of clothes.

"We're all here; Me, Alexis, mom…" Camille sniffled again.

Helga held the phone against her ear with her shoulder as she removed her jeans and tugged on a pair of shorts. "Did anyone call my mom? Or Olga?"

"They're on their way now. Alexis just talked to them,"

"Can someone come pick me up?" Helga slipped her feet into a pair of flip flops by the door.

Camille sniffled once again, "We're afraid to leave, Helga,"

Helga took a deep breath, "Okay, I'll figure something out and let you know when I'm on my way,"

"Okay,"

After hanging up, Helga threw her hair up into a messy bun and hurried out of her room, across the hall to Phoebe's door. After a few impatient knocks, Phoebe emerged, sleepily rubbing her eyes.

"Helga?"

"Pheebs," Helga's voice was urgent. "Can you drive me to the hospital? My dad just had a heart attack,"

Phoebe's eyes widened and, despite the bags under them, looked much more alert.

"Of course, Helga. Let me get dressed and we'll go right away!" Phoebe half closed her door and Helga went back to her room.

Helga looked in the mirror on her dresser and tried her best to rub away the eyeliner that had smeared over the course of this long night. Once she deemed herself presentable, she collected her purse, phone, and keys, then went to wait outside Phoebe's door.

It felt like so much time had passed but when Helga checked the clock on the dash of Phoebe's car, she realized it'd only been seven minutes since she had called Camille back.

"Which hospital?" Phoebe asked as she put the car into drive and started to pull out of her parking spot.

"Hillwood Medical Center," Helga stared blankly out the windshield. That was the closest hospital and the only one her family had ever gone to. Helga dug through her purse, pulling out her phone to call Camille again.

"I'm on my way," Was the first thing she said as her stepsister picked up.

"Okay. We're in the waiting room outside of the cath lab,"

"Gotcha. Be there soon," Helga stuffed the phone back into her purse and zipped it up. With a deep sigh, she slouched back into the seat. She knew Phoebe was driving at a normal speed, hurrying without breaking the law necessarily, but it still felt like they were moving at a snail's pace.

Things had finally started to seem like they were getting better. Sure, her and her stepfamily still hadn't mended every fence that had been torn apart, but the hostility had long since simmered down after Helga moved out. She and her dad were starting to rebuild their relationship. He'd even collaborated with Miriam on Helga's high school graduation party just a few weeks prior. How could things be falling apart just as they were starting to get better? This couldn't be happening.

Phoebe pulled the car up outside of the emergency room entrance and Helga snapped out of her trance-like state.

"Let me know how it goes," Phoebe reached and put a hand on Helga's forearm.

Helga looked over at her best friend and paused only half a second before gripping her in a solid hug. "I will,"

She then hopped out of the car and hurried through the automatic double doors of the emergency room, fearful of the uncertainty that lay ahead.

**[A/N: Well, there it is! Hope you liked it! There's a LOT more to come so I hope you stay tuned! :) Toodles!]**


	2. Chapter 2

**[A/N: Hey there! I'm glad to see people are enjoying this so far! By the way, sorry about the weird early notification. I posted this last night, then realized this morning that I wasn't 100% thrilled with my 2 am fic-writing so I removed it, planning to edit it and re-upload after work. Hence, why you may have gotten a notification, come to the page and... found nothing. I'M SORRY! **

**This chapter will be set in the past and we're going to start working on filling in those gaps between the end of Heart to Heart and the "present" time in Hillwood! Enjoy! **

**I don't own Hey Arnold]**

**(Back-story)**

By the fall of the following year, tenth grade, Helga had moved in with Olga and Miriam. The custody battle had lasted a few months, but in the end, the court had granted Miriam full custody, given the circumstances endured with Helga's step-family.

The road had not been easy, however. Helga had agreed, with much encouragement from Arnold, to meet with Miriam a week or so after having read the letter. Miriam had picked Helga up from Phoebe's house one day and took her to a small cafe on the other side of town.

As Miriam sat down with her caramel macchiato and a generous slice of pumpkin bread for her daughter, Helga sat on the other side of the table, nervously tapping her foot.

Miriam cleared her throat. "I'm really glad you called, Helga,"

"Yeah, well," Helga picked at her pumpkin bread. "I figure I can't keep bummin' it with Pheebs forever,"

Miriam nodded and took a sip of her drink. "Have you talked to your father recently?"

Helga scoffed. "Why should I?"

"Just wondering," Miriam shrugged and tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear. It was a Friday afternoon and she'd left work early to pick Helga up. She was working in the Human Resources department of a marketing company near the house she shared with Olga. Miriam wore a black, knee-length skirt with a dark red blouse; business casual. Her hair was fastened in a carefully placed bun that perhaps had been neatly crafted at one time but, over the course of the day, now had a few tufts of golden blonde hair falling around her hairline. Helga was certainly impressed with the woman who sat before her, one completely different from the mother she once knew.

"So..." Helga nibbled at her bread once again and impatiently raised an eyebrow at Miriam.

Miriam let out a deep breath, "Well, my lawyer believes I have a strong case. I've changed a lot, Helga," She put a hand on Helga's arm, making eye contact.

Helga's hardened expression softened and she sighed. "Yeah, I figured," She noted her mother's well-kept appearance, her job, her mannerisms. She wasn't falling over herself, she was completely alert and engaged in what was happening around her, even if it did feel a little awkward. It'd been so long since they'd seen one another. "I can tell,"

Miriam smiled and patted Helga's arm before retracting her hand. "We can do this, Helga. It isn't going to be easy at first, but we can make this work,"

Helga allowed herself to give a half-smile. "Sounds good, Mom,"

. . . . . . . .

Helga eventually moved in with Miriam and Olga and, though they still drove her crazy at times, she felt comfortable. Miriam drove her to school every morning and Olga was home making dinner every day after her classes let out. Helga had a small room on the second floor that had once been an office but Miriam had moved her belongings to free up the space. For weeks, Helga marveled at how her mother had changed. She started to relax more with time, and even found herself sharing stories with Miriam, laughing and connecting in ways they had rarely shared in the past.

After the custody battle ended in January, the judge had granted Miriam full custody and Bob had weekend visitation. Helga never went to see him, however, and he didn't try to call her. Instead, Cathy would call the house, complaining to Miriam that she wasn't following the judge's orders, or complaining that Helga had been brainwashed against her father. Every time she called, there was always someone else to blame.

Helga didn't really know anyone in the new neighborhood, even after starting at her new school there. Weekends were her relief when Arnold came to visit her. They explored Helga's new neighborhood together and even found a place called Tutti Frutti that sold frozen yogurt which soon became "their spot". Arnold told her all about how the gang was doing back home in Hillwood and Helga would insert humorous, though sarcastic, comments throughout his stories. They also went to movies together and, much to her sister's chagrin, Helga was not interested in Olga chaperoning.

"But... but..." Olga had tried to protest. "You're just a little girl!"

Helga rolled her eyes, "I'm 15. I've been going to the movies alone since I was 7! I think I can handle it,"

Olga didn't press the issue after that but it still wasn't easy for her to realize her "baby" sister was actually growing up. The fact Helga had a boyfriend made Olga's head spin. As often as she gushed over how adorable it was, she still felt a degree of over-protectiveness toward her younger sister.

One summer day Arnold and Helga were seated in a red, cushioned booth at Tutti Frutti, sharing a cup of frozen yogurt. Heaping helpings of chocolate, banana, and vanilla frozen yogurt were decorated with gummi bears, M&M's and sprinkles.

Arnold took a bite and was replacing the spoon to the cup when he noticed Helga was simply staring at him.

"What?" He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "Is there some on my face?"

Helga shook her head, her half-lidded eyes dreamily staring into his.

Arnold blushed, "Helga, why are you looking at me like that?"

"I just can't believe this is actually happening," she shook her head and grabbed the spoon, digging into the mound of chocolate.

Arnold smirked and sighed, content.

. . . . . . . .

Shortly after Christmas break, Miriam's company had offered her a management position in Hillwood. Helga didn't tell Arnold she and Miriam were moving back to the old neighborhood and would be back in school with all of their old friends. Instead, she wanted to surprise him on her first day back in school.  
She ran into Phoebe in the hallway that morning.

"Hey Pheebs, what's shakin'?" Helga smirked as she leaned an elbow on her best friend's shoulder.

Phoebe's face brightened and she wrapped her arms around Helga's lanky frame. "Helga, you're back! Oh, this is wonderful! Welcome home,"

"Thanks," Helga gingerly reciprocated the hug. "Know where I can find that football-headed boyfriend of mine?" Her cheeks pinkened as those words came out of her mouth - even saying it out loud, she felt like it was a dream.

"His locker's around the corner; maybe you'll find him there," Phoebe informed her and Helga headed off down the corridor, zig-zagging through the mass of teenagers crowding around their lockers and navigating the halls.

Helga spotted Arnold amidst a group of old friends. Gerald, Rhonda, Stinky, and Lila all stood by, binders in hand and chatting. Lila said something to the group and everyone laughed, including Arnold. Helga couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy but she quickly squelched the feeling and approached with forced confidence.  
"Well, if it isn't everyone's favorite ginger kid. Still stealing the souls of young and old I see, huh?" Helga smirked at Lila as she came up next to Arnold.

At the sound of her voice, everyone turned to her in surprise.

"Hey!" Arnold smiled and pecked her on the cheek, causing Helga's knees to feel like they were made of jello.

"How have you been, Helga?" Lila smiled, undeterred by Helga's sardonic remarks. "It's so nice to see you again!"

Helga shrugged nonchalantly in response just as the bell rang, indicating it was time for the students to head to their first class. Unfortunately, Helga's first class was not with Arnold and so she watched in dismay as he headed off in the opposite direction with Gerald and Lila, laughing at yet another of her charming, yet irritating, stories.

And so began the "rocky" period...

. . . . . . . .

**10TH GRADE: FALL**

It didn't take long for the rose-colored glasses to fade between Arnold and Helga. With the increased presence, interaction, and potential for miscommunication, they began to have their fair share of bickering. They argued about Helga's attitude, Arnold's overly optimistic nature, and everything in-between. Helga hated the fact that she sometimes caught other girls smiling at giggling at Arnold and she couldn't completely shake her jealousy of his friendship with Lila. Arnold couldn't stand how negative Helga could be at times and she rarely wanted to talk about the things that bothered her. Instead, she would blow up at him without ever fully explaining why, or she would act passive aggressive while feigning complacency. Arnold did his best to be patient with her; he knew everything she'd been through. But sometimes she really knew how to push his buttons and he felt like she was purposefully trying to make him mad.

"What's wrong _now_, Helga?" Arnold asked one day during another of their quarrels.

They had gotten to the boarding house and were in his room, Helga on the couch and Arnold laying out the contents of his book bag on his desk. The plan had been for Helga to come over after school and, as far as Arnold knew, Helga had just turned moody on the bus-ride home for no apparent reason. He had tried to keep engaging her in conversation, hoping maybe he could bring her out of it, but every time he said anything to her she either ignored him or shot him a disinterested look. Finally, after making a rude comment about Lila as they were exiting the bus, Arnold was fed up. Why did she have to be so difficult all the time?

"_Nothing_," Helga replied tersely, removing her backpack and dropping it on the floor next to her.

Arnold sighed, exasperated. "You've been doing this all day,"

"Doing _what_?" Helga narrowed her eyes at him.

"_This_!" Arnold put his arms out, indicating her behavior. "I don't understand why you can't just relax,"

"The world isn't all sunshine and roses, bucko," Helga snapped.

Arnold growled in annoyance, "Arghhh... what did I do this time?"

"Just forget it," Helga furrowed her brow and glared at the floor in front of her. She knew she should trust him. Arnold was an honorable guy and the awkward love triangle between the two of them and Lila had long since dissipated. However, there was still something about her that rubbed Helga the wrong way, even if she knew better. Lila was sweet, charming, and pretty. Helga, in her own mind, was none of those things.

Arnold paused. "I can't keep doing this," He shook his head and Helga's ears pricked up.

"What do you mean?" Helga felt her pulse quicken and she immediately wished she could back-peddle through the last 15 minutes. _Please, no..._

"You're joking, right?" Arnold ran a hand through his messy blond hair. "Do you _like_ fighting with me all the time?"

"Answer the question," Helga pressed, still trying to keep composure.

Arnold shook his head again and sat down at his desk.

Helga felt her heart slipping into her stomach. "Spit it out, Football-head,"

"I don't know what you want from me," Arnold's hardened gaze locked on his hands, folded in his lap. "We fight all the time, I just can't..." He paused. "Nevermind,"

Helga felt her heart racing and took a deep breath to try and keep herself collected. "Are you trying to break up with me right now?" She managed to spit the words out, a little too quickly. After a pause, she quietly added, "Please, don't..."

Arnold was quiet and the deafening silence of the room made it seem as though the walls were closing in on them.

"I think that might be the best idea right now," Arnold turned toward her, his eyes soft and his eyebrows furrowed in painful regret. "I don't think it's healthy that we can't seem to go a full day without arguing about something. I need to think,"

"It's not _every_ day," Helga murmured.

Arnold sighed, his voice low, "I'm sorry,"

Without another word, Helga grabbed her backpack and slipped out of the room. Arnold flinched as the door shut forcefully behind her. With tears at the corners of his eyes, Arnold walked over and flopped onto his bed, pulling a pillow over his face.

**[A/N: Well, I've already put you guys on an emotional rollercoaster to some extent, and trust me: that's gonna happen a lot. Either way! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I'd love to hear your feedback. :)]**


	3. Chapter 3

**[A/N: Hi everyone. Thanks for all the support! I hope you like this next chapter... if only you knew how much stuff was gonna go down in this story! Thankfully I have it all planned out and I'm really pumped to get it all out. Enjoy!**

**I don't own Hey Arnold!]**

It was a rough night for both Arnold and Helga in the wake of what had transpired earlier that afternoon.

Hours passed after Helga left and Arnold had tried to busy himself with homework to no avail. Later in the evening, Gerald called.

"Hey buddy, what's up?"

Arnold sighed, his melancholy evident, "Nothing, what about you?"

"I'm fine," Gerald responded, quickly realizing something was wrong. "You okay, Arnold?"

"I kind of broke up with Helga today,"

Though Arnold couldn't see it, Gerald face-palmed. "You've gotta be kiddin' me. Why?"

"We fight _all_ the time, Gerald!" Arnold exclaimed emphatically. "It isn't supposed to be like that,"

"And how is it _supposed_ to be?" Gerald asked pointedly.

"Fun, romantic, happy," Arnold responded incredulously. That was a dumb question.

Gerald sighed, "You think it's _always_ gonna be like that? It can't _always_ be easy. Plus, this is Helga. You and her are like fire and ice, man. Are you tryin' to tell me you don't have fun, or romance, and you're never happy?"

"Well, no. I didn't say that," Arnold responded quietly.

"Arnold," Gerald's voice was direct. "What have you been doing since this all went down?"

"Nothing, really..." Arnold shrugged.

"No, like, _literally_. What have you been doing?"

Arnold looked around the room and realized he was still in the same spot he'd been in since Helga walked out. "Laying on my bed," Arnold paused in thought. "I tried to get some homework done but I couldn't focus... and I went downstairs for dinner earlier but didn't eat much. I'm not really hungry,"

"Alright, Arnold," Gerald reasoned "I know you know Helga better than I do. But _I_ know _you_. And I don't know _anyone_ else who's been _this_ sprung off their _ass_ for one girl. You guys have been fighting since the day we all met. That didn't stop you from gettin' together, though, did it? I'm just sayin', man. I don't understand it, but the fates have spoken,"

Arnold smirked half-heartedly. Gerald was right, as usual. "Thanks, Gerald,"

. . . . . . . .

That night, Helga was a wreck. She'd blown through the front door to the apartment and into her bedroom like a tornado. Miriam was in the kitchen making dinner but when she saw Helga stomp through, she knew it wasn't going to be a good night.

She cautiously approached Helga's bedroom door shortly after it'd shut with a loud slam and gently knocked twice. "Helga?"

Inside, Helga was pacing the room angrily, biting back the bitter tears that threatened, her face fixed in a menacing scowl. "What?"

"Are you alright, hunny?"

"Perfect," Helga replied through gritted teeth, scouring her room for everything that reminded her of Arnold. She wanted to burn them. "Everything's _grand_," Helga ripped down the pictures her and Arnold had taken in the photobooth at the mall that were taped to the side of her mirror. She allowed herself to look at them for just a little too long and had to choke back a sob.

"Sweetheart, did something happen?" Miriam's voice was soft and worried.

Helga stepped a few paces back and plopped onto her bed, staring at the photobooth print-out as her eyes brimmed with tears. "I don't wanna talk about it," Helga called out, her voice cracking.

"Are you sure?" Miriam waited but Helga didn't reply. "Okay," She sighed. "I'll be in the other room if you need me,"

After another minute of staring at the picture, Helga couldn't stand the way it made her chest feel tight. The way she felt like the floor was going to swallow her up and she couldn't breathe. She threw the picture, as hard as she could, into the center of the room but the lightweight print-out didn't go far and gently fluttered to the floor.

Helga curled up on her side on the bed and buried her face into the pillow. Her tears were hot against her face and the salt from them was starting to make her skin burn. Helga bit her pillow and screamed as hard as she could into it until her throat hurt and she felt like she would lose her voice.

Eventually, exhaustion took over and Helga drifted off into a restless sleep, tears still staining her pillow.

. . . . . . . .

The next morning Helga trudged through her apartment, every step seeming to take an enormous amount of effort. She'd left a box of items that reminded her of Arnold sitting by her bedroom door. Pictures, a stuffed penguin, even the "heart card" Arnold had made for her when they first started dating; all of these things sat in a small cardboard box that, after school, Helga had every intention of setting on fire. She'd considered adding her books of poems and other old, more obsessive, "Arnold paraphernalia" to the box but couldn't bring herself to do it. At the very least, the poetry might be worth publishing and making some cash one day. She felt like a zombie as she made her way into the kitchen and took a few long gulps of orange juice straight from the carton.

Miriam had already left for work so the apartment was quiet.

Helga grabbed her backpack that still lay untouched behind the living room couch and made her way out the door, locking up behind her. She descended the flight of stairs separating her mother's apartment from the ground floor and made her way to the building's main door. There were two large bushes by the side of the main door and as Helga exited and the glass door shut behind her, she noticed unruly golden hair sticking out from behind them.

She peered around and there was Arnold, sitting cross-legged in the grass with an apple in his hand. When the large main door shut, he lifted his football-shaped head to see Helga standing in front of him and looking particularly confused.

He stood up nervously, clearing his throat and hoping she wouldn't just tell him to go to hell.

"Uhh," Arnold stammered, then remembered the apple in his hand and offered it to Helga. "I... brought this for you," He noted the baffled look on her face and scrambled for words. "I thought you might like it for breakfast... or something. I know you don't usually eat breakfast but I thought maybe you...I dunno," Arnold rubbed the back of his neck. "Maybe it was a dumb idea..."

Helga took the apple from his hand and continued to stare him down, perturbed. "What are you doing here?"

"I..." Arnold's skin felt hot and his gaze shifted down as discolored leaves shuffled past in a gust of Autumn wind. "I made a mistake," A rush of relief overcame him as the words finally began to come out. "I was so frustrated yesterday... and I'm really, _really_ sorry. I don't want to fight all the time but I don't want to not be in a relationship with you... So, if you can forgive me, I wanna try again," Arnold's gaze finally shifted back to Helga's, only to see she was now the one averting her eyes.

The anger Helga had once felt began to melt as she looked into Arnold's eyes. He looked scared, and so vulnerable. After a moment of unnerving quiet, she spoke, "Really?"

Arnold nodded, "Yeah. I feel like such a jerk... I lost my patience and I should've tried to talk to you calmly instead of getting mad,"

"No," Helga's face contorted as she struggled to tame her ego. Being with Arnold for so long had taught her a lot about humbleness. "It wasn't just you... I kinda just..." Her voice trailed off.

Apologies were still really difficult for Helga. It didn't matter, though, because Arnold knew what she was trying to say. He reached a hand out sheepishly in the hope she'd accept it and, after a moment of hesitation, she did. With a breath of relief, Arnold walked alongside Helga to the bus stop.

. . . . . . . .

**10TH GRADE: WINTER**

On the Saturday before winter break was over, Arnold, Helga, Gerald and Phoebe went to a new karaoke lounge that had opened in Hillwood a couple months prior, just after Thanksgiving. There were couches near the front stage, booths along the walls and various tables scattered around the center of the room. There was a bar in the back for the 21-and-over crowd but minors were welcome in the establishment up until 11 pm. The lounge didn't only offer karaoke; a few nights a week, local bands performed at the small venue and business was actually pretty good so far.

Tonight, however, was a karaoke night and Helga had every intention of getting a few good laughs watching. It had originally been Arnold's idea to come. Everyone at school was chattering on about the new venue and it'd grown in popularity quite quickly.

Once inside, Gerald spotted Rhonda, Stinky, Sheena, Nadine, Sid, and Harold at a large table in the center of the room.

"Hey guys," Arnold greeted everyone as they approached.

On stage, a middle-aged couple struggled to keep up with the lyrics of the song, stumbling over their words.

"Howdy, Arnold," Stinky drawled.

"Nadine, Sid, scoot over and make some room for them," Rhonda instructed.

Arnold and Gerald grabbed a few chairs from a nearby table so that the four of them could squeeze in with the rest of their friends.

As Helga got comfortable, she chuckled at the people on stage. "Look at these buffoons; do they even know the song?"

"Probably not," Nadine responded to the somewhat rhetorical question. "They didn't get to choose it,"

"Really?" Helga chortled. "Oh, this is gonna be better than I thought,"

"I heard about that," Phoebe chimed in. "That's something characteristic of this place. You sign up to sing but they surprise you with a song of their choosing,"

"So, hold up," Gerald turned to her. "You don't get to pick your own song at all?"

Phoebe shrugged as Stinky spoke, "I reckon they'd let ya pick if your heart was set on somethin',"

At that time, a server came over to the table, placing a large plate of chicken wings and two baskets of fries in the center.

"_Finally_!" Harold turned his attention from the stage to the food and grabbed a small plate from the stack sitting in the middle of the table, filling it with fries and wings.

"Help yourselves, you guys," Sheena smiled at Arnold, Helga, Phoebe, and Gerald. "We're all chipping in," The others nodded in agreement as everyone divvied up the food.

. . . . . . . .

Another round of fries and wings later, the group was having a great time. It was just after 9 pm and some of them had finally mustered up the courage to add their names to the karaoke list. Unbeknownst to Helga, Arnold had added her name to the list when he'd gone to sign up.

As he returned to the table after a particularly awkward, yet hilarious, rendition of Britney Spears' "Hit Me Baby One More Time", the M.C. running karaoke for the night called out the next name.

"And next up, ladies and gentlemen, for your listening pleasure we have..." He peered at the sign-up sheet. "Helga! Where are you, Helga?"

Helga's eyes widened and she shot Arnold a death glare as he struggled to stifle his chuckling. "I'm gonna kill you," she whispered.

"Oh c'mon, Helga," Gerald encouraged. "We've all had a turn,"

"Yeah, Helga. Show us whacha got!" Sid grinned.

Helga maintained her glare as she slowly rose from the table, "I hate all of you,"

Her friends only laughed good-naturedly.

"Oh, just go. You might have fun," Arnold smiled and Helga's irritation wavered.

"Fine," She rolled her eyes and approached the stage.

As she stood in front of the karaoke machine, microphone in hand, the name of the song she was expected to sing flashed across the screen. Helga relaxed a little, relieved that she at least knew the song. It'd played so many times on the radio when it first came out that it'd driven her nuts. Still, she knew the song and she actually kind of liked it.

Random drunk people in the crowd cheered as the intro music began to the play. Helga felt a thin layer of sweat beading at her forehead but she swallowed and waited for the timer to count her down before it was time to finally sing.

_Let's get this over with..._

**[A/N: Let me know what you think! There are so many surprises in store for this fic - I can't wait to write 'em all in. Hope you liked this chapter!]**


	4. Chapter 4

"Oh my, Helga!" Phoebe beamed as Helga returned to the table, her cheeks pinkening as her friends, along with the rest of the room, continued to clap. "That was wonderful!"

"Boy howdy, I didn't know you had that in you!" Sid offered Helga a lingering, mesmerized smile that made her feel slightly awkward.

"Thanks," Helga muttered sheepishly as she sat down next to Arnold who then pulled her close with one arm and laid a kiss on her temple, causing her cheeks to darken still.

Once Helga settled into her seat, the crowd's attention was on the stage once more, anticipating the next performance. She hadn't realized everyone would like the song as much as they did...

"_Harold!_" Rhonda exclaimed as Harold all but shoved a monstrous amount of fries into his mouth, some of which didn't fit and dangled loosely from the orifice. "Could you be _anymore_ uncouth?" She turned her nose up in disgust and Harold shrugged as he swallowed and wiped salt from the edges of his mouth with the back of his hand.

"Helga, have you thought about performing at the Diversity Assembly?" Phoebe asked as she sipped the soda in front of her.

Helga leaned an elbow against the table and raised a bored eyebrow at her best friend, "And _why_ the heck would I wanna do _that_?"

"I think you might enjoy it! Your vocal expression is quite impressive,"

"Wait," Arnold chimed in. "What's the Diversity Assembly?"

"It's more or less a talent show, really," Gerald answered as Helga and Phoebe talked amongst themselves. "The whole 10th grade gets out of second period for it. And you know _I'm_ not complainin' about _that_," He chuckled.

"I dunno, Pheebs," Helga shook her head. "That isn't really my scene,"

"You should at least consider it," Phoebe said, eventually conceding to Helga's stubbornness. "In light of recent events, I think it may be the perfect mode of expression for you. A sort of catharsis, if you will,"

"You should do it, Helga!" Arnold gave Helga a warm smile that made her heart rate seem to quicken.

After a moment of hesitation, trying to resist the hopeful look on that adorable, football-headed face, Helga's adamant demeanor weakened, "I'll think about it. _Maybe_,"

Helga hadn't talked openly about her step-family very much since she moved in with Miriam and things had settled down. In fact, she hadn't interacted with her father or anyone else from that side since Miriam received custody. And that had been months ago...

. . . . . . . .

Monday came quickly and much to Helga's chagrin, Phoebe hadn't forgotten about the Diversity Assembly idea.

"I picked this up for you!" Phoebe appeared next to Helga at her locker, thrusting a flyer for the Diversity Assembly into her hand.

"Criminy, Pheebs," Helga shut her locker and readjusted the weight of her book-bag on her back. "I said I'd think about it. I never said I was definitely gonna do it,"

"Well, I'm sure having information pertaining to the specifics of the event would be helpful in making your decision. It's next week so that would give you plenty of time to practice and become more comfortable with the prospect of performing in front of everyone," Phoebe and Helga began to walk down the hall toward the main doors to exit. "I really think it would be good for you, though, Helga. Even Arnold has said that you need to open up more. Bottling your emotions is quite unhealthy, you know,"

"Arnold's been talking about me?" Helga's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Has he said anything else to you?"

Phoebe shook her head. "Nothing specifically, no,"

"Hmm," Helga scrutinized the flyer in her hand. She wasn't sure how she felt about Arnold talking to her friends about her behind her back. Even if it was out of concern, it felt a little one-sided. She decided to brush it off, however. "Thanks, Pheebs,"

. . . . . . . .

The phone was ringing when Helga walked into the empty apartment. She dropped her bookbag by the door and flipped the light switch on, illuminating the living room before she grabbed the phone.

"Hello?"

"Helga?" the voice on the other end was distinctly familiar and it took Helga a moment to realize it was Cathy. She immediately felt her hair stand on end.

"Yeah..."

"I was trying to reach your mother but you'll do," Cathy said snottily. "Why haven't you talked to your father?"

"Why do you _think_?" Helga asked incredulously. Did she really think this was some big mystery?

"He's very upset that he never heard from you at Thanksgiving or Christmas. You're being very unfair to him." Cathy spit. "If you want to make up stories and act like a spoiled, selfish bitch on your own time,_ fine_; but your father doesn't deserve your nastiness,"

Helga felt her blood boiling, "Are you really calling for this? _This_ is why I didn't come over and for the record, none of you are the innocent little cherubs you think you are. He probably didn't even notice I've been gone since day one; you just wanted to call to check up on me and talk shit because you have nothing better to do. Well, get a hobby!" And with that, Helga promptly hung up. The phone rang again a moment later but she turned the volume off and stormed into her bedroom, slamming the door behind her.

. . . . . . . .

Standing behind the curtain in the school auditorium, Helga couldn't believe she'd agreed to do this. However, after Cathy's phone call last week and the resurgence of anger it brought along with it, she figured it couldn't hurt. Worst case scenario, she'd mess up and it'd be horribly embarrassing, the entire 10th grade student body would laugh at her and she'd become a mockery for the rest of her high school career. No big deal.

Out on the stage, Curly was delivering a striking ballet performance to a stupefied audience. When the music ended, he bowed dramatically and bounded off the stage as his peers below hesitantly began to clap.

"_It's now or never, Helga ol' girl,_" Helga murmured to herself before pushing past the curtain and onto the stage, the blinding spotlight preventing her from seeing into the audience. All she could make out were indistinct shapes resembling her classmates.

_Why did I agree to this? Why? I'm never listening to Phoebe again, this is not gonna be good. Ughh..._

The light was hot on her skin and Helga felt small beads of sweat forming at her hairline. She took a deep breath to compose herself and waited for the music to start.

_Steady, girl..._

As the instrumentals rang out from the speakers, Helga nervously scuttled through the first lyrics that were supposed to be spoken, more or less.

"After all that you put me through,  
you'd think I'd despise you.  
But in the end, I wanna thank you,  
'cause you made me that much stronger,"

A girl in the audience yelled out, "Get it, girl!" and Helga stifled a laugh, momentarily forgetting about her nervousness and psyching herself up for the rest of the song.

"_Well I thought I knew you, thinkin' that you were true._  
_Guess I, I couldn't trust, called your bluff, time is up_  
_'cause I've had enough._  
_You were there by my side, always down for the ride_  
_but your joy ride just came down in flames 'cause your greed sold me out in shame_,"

Helga removed the microphone from its stand and started to add more aggression to her voice.

"_After all of the stealing and cheating, you probably think that I hold resentment for you._  
_But uh uh, oh no, you're wrong,_  
_'cause if it wasn't for all that you tried to do,_  
_I wouldn't know, just how capable I am to pull through._  
_So I wanna say thank you_  
_'cause it_  
_makes me that much stronger,_  
_makes me work a little bit harder._  
_Makes me that much wiser,_  
_so thanks for making me a fighter._  
_Made me learn a little bit faster,_  
_made my skin a little bit thicker._  
_Makes me that much smarter_  
_So thanks for making me a fighter_,"

Some of the students in the audience had begun to cheer for her once they realized she was actually pretty good. She was no professional; she definitely wasn't perfect. But still, it was probably the best performance they'd seen so far, considering Curly's awkward ballet beforehand and the semi-interesting fashion show Rhonda had conducted for the first act.

As she began the next verse, Helga visualized her father and step-family sitting in the audience. Her brow furrowed and she imagined she was actually telling them how she felt about everything they'd put her through. The grit in her voice earned her more emphatic cheers from the selection of students coaxing her through the song.

"_Never saw it coming, all of your backstabbing,_  
_just so you could cash in on a good thing before I'd realize your game_,"

Helga imagined every time Big Bob had entered her into a contest, his interest moreso in preserving the family name than encouraging his youngest daughter to do her best.

"_I heard you're going round playing the victim now_  
_but don't even begin feeling I'm the one to blame,_  
_'cause you dug your own grave_,"

An image of Camille whining about the one hit Helga had managed to get in during their fight crossed her mind, followed by a recollection of Cathy's recent phone call.

"_After all of the fights and the lies, guess you're wanting to hurt me,_  
_but that won't work anymore._  
_No more, it's over._  
_'Cause if it wasn't for all of your torture,_  
_I wouldn't know how to be this way now and never back down,_  
_so I wanna say thank you_,"

Helga continued like this through another chorus, progressively becoming more animated as she virtually exorcised herself of the pent-up anger she'd been harboring for months. She'd come so far, she was doing so well now that she was out of Bob's house and if her step-family couldn't see what she was worth then that was their problem.

"_How could this man I thought I knew_  
_turn out to be unjust so cruel?_  
_Could only see the good in you,_  
_pretended not to see the truth._  
_You tried to hide your lies, disguise yourself_  
_through living in denial._  
_But in the end you'll see_  
_YOU-WON'T-STOP-ME!_

_I am a fighter and I,_  
_I ain't gonna stop._  
_There is no turning back_  
_I've had enough_,"

"Go 'head, white girl!" Another girl yelled from the audience as Helga held out the high note, struggling to keep a serious face.

She finished the rest of the song with surprising ease and smirked, pleased with herself, as the audience applauded.

When the show was finally over, Helga found Arnold tangled in the crowd alongside Lila. She approached them, the green-eyed monster of jealousy tugging at her collar.

"Helga, you were amazing!" Arnold wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug, setting her slightly off-balance for a second.

"I absolutely loved your performance, Helga," Lila smiled sweetly and patted Helga on the shoulder.

Helga swallowed the animosity she'd felt a moment earlier and thanked each of them.

"I didn't think I was gonna like that as much as I did," she confessed as they made their way out of the throng of students.

"I told you," Arnold playfully elbowed her in the side. "And Phoebe did, too. I'm glad you did that,"

"Yeah, yeah," Helga rolled her eyes, rubbing the spot where Arnold had just elbowed her before offering up her own playful smirk.

. . . . . . . .

Later that day, about an hour after she'd gotten home from school, Helga was in her room watching TV when the phone rang.

She reached over the edge of her bed and picked up the receiver as she simultaneously muted the TV with the remote in her other hand.

"Hi, is Helga home?" the voice on the other end inquired.

"That's me," Helga replied as she pulled her legs up and under her into a cross-legged position. "Who's this?"

"It's Sid,"

Helga raised an eyebrow, "What's up?"

Sid hesitated a moment before responding, "Well, uhh... I really liked your song today,"

"Thanks..." Helga responded cautiously. She couldn't remember a single time in years that Sid had called her. She'd pretty much forgotten he even had her new number. That is, until she recalled the day she gave it to him and a bunch of her other friends when they were planning to meet up at Gerald field for a football game.

After another awkward moment of dead air, "Anything else, Sid?"

"Well, uhh..." He stammered, hesitating. "I was wondering if you..." Another pause. "Actually no, nevermind,"

"Huh?"

"I-I gotta go. Bye, Helga," Sid said quickly and hung up before Helga had the chance to say anything else.

She replaced the phone to its charger and un-muted the TV.

"Well, that was weird..."

**[A/N: Oh myy... how peculiar! Let me know what you guys think! :)**

**Also, the song in this chapter was "Fighter" - Christina Aguilera]**


	5. Chapter 5

**[A/N: Forgive me, this chapter is a little shorter than the others but I'm updating again in less an 24 hours, so I get some mercy right? Haha. It gets a little emotional here but I hope you enjoy this. And please let me know what you think! I'd love to hear your comments.**

**We're switching back into the "present" time here.**

**As always, I don't own Hey Arnold]**

**PRESENT TIME:**

"I'm here to see Bob Pataki," Helga stated as she reached the front desk of the emergency room. "I'm his daughter,"

The waiting room wasn't nearly as crowded as it usually was – probably due to the fact it wasn't even seven in the morning yet. Light from the steadily emerging sun was making its way through the windows, casting a warm glow on the linoleum floor. There were three women behind the front desk that Helga assumed were either nurses or receptionists. They were wearing colorfully decorated scrubs and that's about as much detail as she observed in them. Her mind was elsewhere.

The woman sitting directly in front of her looked back at another nurse/receptionist who was marking something off on the whiteboard on the adjacent wall.

"The heart attack patient,"

"Didn't they take him to the cath lab already?"

Their words were a buzz in Helga's head. All she could do was try to keep her blood pressure under control and maintain her composure. She couldn't let herself fall apart.

A security guard appeared from behind a wall and offered to escort Helga.

Helga nodded, muttering a brief, "Thanks," and fell in tow with the guard. She was a stout woman, short in stature with big, thick, curly brown hair. Helga noticed that her pace was a bit slower than her own and so she painstakingly slowed down. She _was_ supposed to be _following _this woman after all. But why the heck was she moving slower than a Sunday driver? It wasn't like Helga was here for afternoon tea with her granny.

"Mornin' hunny, how was your weekend?" An orderly passed by them and waved.

The security guard laughed as she continued down the hallway with Helga. "Girl, you know it wasn't nothin' special. How 'bout you?"

"I hear ya! Same ol', same ol'," The orderly called over her shoulder as she passed.

Helga grit her teeth and growled under her breath. She wanted so badly to walk faster, find her family, figure out what the heck was going on, and this _rent-a-cop _was obviously in no hurry.

After a few more turns down a few more hallways, the stale yet disinfected smell of the hospital making Helga's nose itch, they finally came to a waiting area. Helga immediately ditched the security guard when she saw familiar faces.

The waiting room wasn't very large and it was sectioned off by a pair of double doors that Helga assumed led to the lab where Bob was having his surgery. A TV, hung up in the corner of the ceiling, was broadcasting the morning news with the volume turned down low enough to allow for conversation.

Cathy was sitting in the corner next to a dimly lit lamp, her elbow leaning on the arm of the chair as she quietly cried into her hand. Camille was positioned next to her, leaning awkwardly over the arms of both her chair and her mother's, clinging to Cathy with a hug that reminded Helga of a scared child.

Alexis stood up when she saw Helga enter the waiting area.

"We haven't heard anything new. He's still in surgery,"

Helga took note of Alexis' appearance. She wasn't crying at the moment but the redness and puffiness around her eyes indicated it hadn't been long since she'd stopped.

To be fair, no one looked their best. Everyone's hair was either in a bun or a messy ponytail, they wore no make-up, and their faces were tear-stained. Cathy and the girls were even still wearing pajama pants.

"What happened?" Helga asked as she came further into the room, approaching the corner that her step-family had been occupying. Aside from them, the waiting area was empty. "Are Olga and my mom here yet?"

"Not yet," Camille sniffled, straightening up and blinking back the tears from her eyes as she cleared her throat. "They should be here soon, though,"

Helga sat down in the seat next to Camille, exhaling deeply as she dropped her weight. She clasped her hands together, arms resting on the tops of her legs and bent over, leaning on her fists. This couldn't be real. This had to be some sort of mistake, like that one time he just had really bad gas. There was no way this was actually happening.

Helga didn't lift her head when she repeated the question she asked earlier, "What happened, exactly?"

"Bob started having what he thought were gas pains around three this morning," Alexis sat down in the chair perpendicular to Cathy. "Right, Mom?"

Cathy lifted her head, taking a deep, steady breath. "Actually it was about two-thirty," She corrected. "He didn't wake me up until close to four, though. He thought he was just having gas pains or acid reflux so he tried to walk it off. Eventually he started sweating and he said the pain spread to his arms. That's when he woke me up,"

Helga could imagine this scene playing out in her head and it caused a knot to grow in the pit of her stomach. Knowing Big Bob and his stubborn ways, it was no surprise that he tried to play everything off as if it was nothing. Especially considering the misinterpretation of similar symptoms he'd had once before. After that whole debacle, Helga could understand why Bob hadn't immediately alerted anyone to what was going on. However, that didn't stop her from becoming frustrated over it.

"I called 9-1-1 and they told him to take an aspirin, which he did," Cathy continued. "The ambulance arrived about ten minutes later,"

"You would _think _they would've gotten there sooner. The firehouse is right around the freaking corner!" Camille grumbled.

"Anyway," Cathy gave Camille a pointed look. "They worked on him for… fifteen? Twenty minutes? Then loaded him up into the ambulance and that's when we all piled into the car and followed them to the hospital," Cathy paused, taking a deep breath and Helga could see her eyes developing another thin layer of tears that were quickly blinked away. "His heart started beating out of rhythm in the ambulance and they had to shock him with those paddle things… Now he's having surgery that's supposed to remove the clot,"

Helga let the information sink in, her mind re-creating the events that Cathy had described. She imagined her father wandering around the house, rubbing his chest and trying to convince himself that nothing was wrong. She imagined his skin shiny with sweat, his face locked in a grimace, when he finally woke Cathy up to call 9-1-1. She imagined her father lying on a stretcher as paramedics carried him out of the house and loaded him into an ambulance. She imagined his erratic heart rate on the monitor and the paramedics shocking him with the defibrillator, his large body convulsing in the narrow space.

Helga could feel the adrenaline coursing through her veins, but with little purpose, really, because there was nothing she could do. Nothing except sit in this waiting room…and wait.

"_Where is he!?_" A wailing cry echoed just down the hallway, a voice that Helga immediately recognized.

Olga emerged, alongside Miriam, from around the corner and fell to her knees in front of Helga, gripping her younger sister's knees for support.

"_Helga," _Olga sobbed. "Where is he? Where's Daddy?"

Helga gingerly patted Olga on the back as Miriam took a seat nearby. "He's in surgery, Olga," Another awkward pat. "Why don't you sit down here?" She indicated the chair beside her.

Olga nodded, wiping the tears from under her eyes as she drew a few gasping breaths, eventually settling down. Both she and Miriam were of similar appearance to the rest of the group: exhausted, worried, wearing clothes that had obviously been thrown on in a rush. The two listened intently as, this time, Alexis recounted the details of the current situation.

It was at this point that Helga allowed herself to drift away from the conversation. She felt the room seem to grow larger as she allowed herself to sink deeper into her mind and away from the sobbing and the anxiety, the frantic voices all around her. She thought about how different things were now and, after all of the progress her and her father had made in their relationship, was it really about to be snatched away? Just like that?

She never thought she'd see the day that her and her step-family could get along like civilized human beings. Sure, they weren't really _friendly_ with each other but they could communicate without it turning into a fight. Part of that probably had to do with everyone maturing to some degree, but the primary role in that outcome was likely due to the various other changes their family had gone through over the years. Helga had learned a lot about her step-family and that knowledge had cast their experiences together under a completely different light. It never excused the hurtful remarks, the abuse, the anger, the fights, or the hostility… but it helped Helga understand. And with that knowledge, she began to understand herself more, developing a broader view of the situation as a whole. Things weren't always as black and white as they seemed and Helga had finally begun to realize just how many shades of grey were present in this dysfunctional family of hers.

The group was relatively quiet until one of the doctors emerged from behind the double doors. His white coat had his name, "Amish Gandhi, M.D." written across the chest pocket. He approached the family at a brisk pace.

"I wanted to update you all on Mr. Pataki's condition. I'm Dr. Gandhi ," He introduced himself and his eyes fell to Cathy. "You are the wife, correct?" After a nod from Cathy who proceeded to sit up straight, ready for details, he continued. "Mr. Pataki has suffered a significant blockage to the top of his coronary artery. I want to forewarn you all that his condition is touch-and-go at the moment. He is still in surgery having the clot removed but you should know that he coded once already before we were able to get him into the cath lab. We injected him with epinephrine and performed CPR which allowed us to regain a pulse. He has since maintained this condition, though he is still unconscious. Once the surgery is complete, I will come out to talk to you all again,"

Helga felt like her stomach was in her throat.

_He essentially died. My dad basically _DIED_. But they brought him back… that's good… Oh god, I can't deal with this._

"I need some air," Helga stood up abruptly, causing everyone else to turn their heads in her direction. "I'll be back,"

Helga exited the waiting room and starting walking down the hallway. She didn't know exactly where she was going or what her destination was but she was beginning to feel suffocated. There was no way this was happening. How could this be happening? Everything had improved so much. It just wasn't _fair. _She couldn't stand the idea of losing her father after they'd finally begun to rebuild their relationship. He may have been a blowhard, he may have let her down countless times and made her want to pull her own hair out… but he was still her father. She still loved him and the idea of losing him, of losing one of her parents at only eighteen years old, was too much for her to think about.

It had to be a dream.


End file.
